In Brazilian distances, Recife is next door to João Pessoa—still, it’s another state, another world and a two-hour bus ride.
Gone are the days when I had to buy my bus tickets in person at the rodoviária. I have a CPF, I usually use the Busbud app, and most bus companies just scan the QR code on your phone.
I changed my departure time a few days before the trip. There was no point in taking the 9 a.m. bus, considering I wouldn’t be able to check in before 3 p.m. I booked myself on the 11 a.m. bus instead and got a full refund on the 9 a.m. ticket.
It’s only on my way to João Pessoa that I realized I didn’t select a specific seat when buying my new ticket. “Shit,” I thought, opening the e-ticket to check my randomly assigned seat. “I hope I’m not all the way at the back, next to the bathroom.”
“Poltrona 01.”
How did I end up with seat 01? Was the bus empty? Weird.
The bus wasn’t empty at all but I did have seat 01 and no one was sitting next to me.
The driver greeted us all. “We should arrive in Recife at 1:11 p.m. But there’s a lot of traffic so it may take longer.”
All the passengers nodded knowingly.
Before I fell asleep, I read all the signs posted on the bus. I ended with a long “Atos de Poder Legislativo” because if it’s in front of me, I’ll read it, and possibly translate it or proofread it in my head. It’s okay, don’t send help, I’m fine, I made a living out of it.
Huh. Interesting. As of 2024, women travelling alone are automatically assigned a front seat or seated with other women. I looked around. Sure enough, we were four women travelling alone in the first few rows. Ah, that’s why I ended up with seat 01!
Thank you, Brazil. Honestly, I find Brazilian men are pretty well-behaved but I appreciate the decision regardless.
With nothing else to read, I fell asleep.
I woke up an hour later and checked Google Maps to see how far we were from Recife.
Wait, what? Eight kilometres only? That’s some kind of underpromise, overdeliver!
The bus stopped in the middle of nowhere a few minutes later, and most passengers got off.
“Why is everybody getting off here?”
“To avoid the Terminal Rodoviário de Recife,” the driver replied. “It’s… just easier to get off here.”
“Can you catch an Uber easily?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Fine, I’m getting off too. The Terminal Rodoviário de Recife is awful. Recife is the only city I know where the airport is in the middle of the most residential neighbourhood but the bus terminal is in the jungle.
I did catch an Uber easily and enjoyed a cheaper, quicker ride to Boa Viagem.
So three lessons learned:
- A bus going way over the speed limit does arrive earlier than planned
- Women get front-row treatment
- Getting off in the middle of nowhere can be the best option
I’m taking notes!
